January 15th, 2023 at 2:55 PM ^
a lot of skill, but he had maturity issues.
there's another QB like that.
January 15th, 2023 at 3:00 PM ^
Who ya talking about?
January 15th, 2023 at 3:36 PM ^
a player to be named later.
January 15th, 2023 at 2:18 PM ^
the odds for the top overall pick took an interesting turn. Former Kentucky quarterback Will Levis saw his odds make a major shift, according to multiple sportsbooks.
Levis went from 22-1 odds to go No. 1 overall to 9-1, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. DraftKings Sportsbook also showed a dramatic move as Levis shifted from 20-1 to 10-1 to be the top pick
Levis is showing he is serious about being good at the NFL level:
January 15th, 2023 at 2:33 PM ^
Is there a list of QB busts that worked with him?
Edit: still looking but some references to Bortles, and too early to say whether he works out on Ridder.
January 15th, 2023 at 2:35 PM ^
maybe somewhere
January 15th, 2023 at 2:36 PM ^
I guess I don't get the hype. I don't recall him ever doing anything for Kentucky.
January 15th, 2023 at 2:45 PM ^
I think he's being compared to Justin Herbert and Josh Allen, who weren't expected to be at all as good in the NFL as they are. Is the comparison fair or valid? I don't know. But NFL scouts are seeing something in him that is making him move up. It could also be they are seeing something in CJ Stroud that is making him fall a little.
January 16th, 2023 at 10:50 AM ^
Levis fits the Josh Allen archetype, but comparing him to Herbert is revisionist history.
January 15th, 2023 at 2:25 PM ^
If he wants to come back just to go 0-3 against Michigan that’s all well and good by me.
January 15th, 2023 at 5:04 PM ^
If he's a top 3 pick, he's batshit crazy to stay.
January 15th, 2023 at 1:56 PM ^
The big mystery is Stroud, who hasn’t been very quiet.
January 15th, 2023 at 2:01 PM ^
Curious to see if CJ Stroud is actually dumb enough to turn down the money he'd get as a top 5 pick (30-40million). Word is he's seriously contemplating going 0-3 against Michigan.
January 15th, 2023 at 3:25 PM ^
Correct, Stroud is in-line for a 30mil payday as he will be drafted in the single digits. There is no one that dumb to risk that, he also hired the same agent as D Watson's who totally grifted the Browns.
If there's word that he is seriously considering returning I haven't seen it. He gone this evening.
January 15th, 2023 at 8:12 PM ^
Plus entering the NFL now puts him one year closer to the second NFL contract where the huge money is.
January 15th, 2023 at 2:21 PM ^
Zinter's back so that was the only guy I figured wasn't set. I am surprised Stroud from OSU hasn't declared yet; his draft floor is reasonably high (he's not falling out of the first 12-14 picks) but I also don't see his ceiling being much higher if he returned to OSU. He looks like your bog-standard OSU QB in that he's great if you give him time and elite talent and he's far more human when that's not the case. Now, that's true for a lot of high-end college QBs but unless he's got an amazing NIL deal I don't really see what he's waiting for.
January 15th, 2023 at 2:23 PM ^
Wow, if Stroud stays at OSU just to attempt to be next year's number 1 pick, that'd be quite egomaniacal. I'd be more concerned about where I was going, instead of being the first pick. If I'm Bryce Young, I consider pulling a John Elway, Bo Jackson, or Eli Manning, and refuse to play for the organization drafting first. Who in the hell wants that clown show ongoing in Houston?
If Stroud is the 2nd QB picked, he's likely going to Indianapolis. They have a good O-line, a great running back, and a decent defense. If he's the 3rd QB picked, he'll possibly be a Raider (with good receiving talent), or a Panther (excellent running game). Plus, injuries happen, and do you really want to risk dropping because some fk'n defensive lineman at Rutgers came in low?
January 15th, 2023 at 2:34 PM ^
He's going to have Caleb Williams to deal with next year, and possibly Drake Maye. He likely wouldn't be #1 next year either, and may fall to #3 then too.
If it is ego that is making him want to stay one more year, he better set it aside and come out now.
January 15th, 2023 at 2:39 PM ^
Exactly. He needs to go, because 0-3 vs. Michigan won't help his cause either:)
January 15th, 2023 at 2:47 PM ^
Injury could make it all fall off the table too.
January 16th, 2023 at 10:54 AM ^
Caleb Williams might end up 0-4 against Cam Rising's Utes.
January 15th, 2023 at 2:50 PM ^
Williams is just more mobile, a more willing runner, a more exciting player. Stroud is the much better passer. The kid throws some serious dimes! He stands tall in the pocket, and he progresses through his reads quite nicely. In the past, if you took away the first read for an OSU QB, you could stop them. Stroud finds the 2nd, 3rd, or 4th guy. I was impressed with Fields' athleticism and strong arm. I'm impressed with Stroud's quarterbacking!
January 15th, 2023 at 3:02 PM ^
Disagree. Stroud is great on his first read, unreal accuracy. With WR's like JXN and Harrison JR he was brilliant on that read.
His second read is generally a check down WR screen to the outside (which UM did a great job of stopping) or hoping Stover or a back is open over the middle.
Once off platform, he is terrible on even his first read and often misses that check down even if there is a window to complete it.
January 15th, 2023 at 3:14 PM ^
I'm fine with disagreeing. If my vanity overcomes my laziness, I'll pull up some clips for verification of rightness or wrongness. Admittedly, the number of games I've watched Stroud is in the range of 5 (Michigan x2, Bowls x2, and a random game each of the last couple of seasons). And, even though we beat him both times, he put up damn near 750yds in those 2 start!
January 15th, 2023 at 3:56 PM ^
I watched virtually all OSU games and your first take is accurate. Not just my assessment, some of the NFL scouts say the same thing. You don't go 23-4 with 8,000+ passing yards, and 85 touchdowns without being able to read a defense. He does have flaws though, he doesn't like to take hits, he only has one career rushing TD, and at times be wildly inaccurate. Tough to say if it was coaching or how that translates to the NFL.
He has 30mil sitting on the table, a good agent, and his lineman and WR's have checked out. He seems reserved and calculative, I very highly doubt he doesn't declare tonight.
January 15th, 2023 at 3:39 PM ^
I think he got better on his second read beyond just screens and dump offs but a consistent complaint I did hear about him this year was that his accuracy really struggled when he was pushed off his preferred spot. Again, that's true for a lot of QBs but with guys like Fields they can at least rely on athleticism. Stroud doesn't have that. He's going to be a top-3 QB pick any year but Williams has just as much arm talent as Stroud and is the better athlete and Maye is accurate as well. And then you've got guys like Rattler, Jayden Daniels, and even a guy like Ewers who could pop. Stroud sticking around for a chance at #1 would be pretty foolish.
January 15th, 2023 at 3:08 PM ^
I understand all you are saying. He can move the ball.
But when it comes to fly by the seat of your pants time I'm taking Caleb Williams.
January 15th, 2023 at 3:18 PM ^
Yeah, but NFL quarterbacking is much more structured than college quarterbacking. The comparison for Williams is... Mahomes? The comp for Stroud is... Burrow? I'll take the trajectory of both.
January 15th, 2023 at 3:38 PM ^
Stroud is no Burrow. He doesn't make quick reads. He goes to his first read 80% of the time (when it's G. Wilson, JXN or MHJ against college competition) he looks amazing, as he's deadly accurate and those WRs are incredible.
However, if taken away, he gets antsy on his 2nd read, often looking for a quick check down. He was much better against UGA, as I believe they prepped him to have his 1st and 2nd read downloaded, OSU had an incredible game plan, and Stroud was willing to run the ball - something he hasn't done much of his career.
1 game doesn't a trend make. Sorry, I see a deadly accurate 1st read QB, not a brilliant reader and manipulator of defenses like Burrow.
January 15th, 2023 at 4:26 PM ^
In college sure. But Williams isn’t Lamar Jackson. He’ll still have success scrambling in the NFL like Allen or Tua but he’s not gonna get away with a lot of the scrambles he pulls off in college.
January 15th, 2023 at 2:33 PM ^
Would love to see Stroud come into Ann Arbor for 0-3. That UGA game was his magnum opus, and now that it's on film, won't be repeated against UM.
They are still soft and I'd expect a 2021 style mauling of a game in AA next year, more than a repeat of this years big play beat down in the Shoe.
January 15th, 2023 at 4:29 PM ^
Even though we beat them, I’d prefer not to see Stroud throwing to Harrison Jr next year. But hey, that’s just me.
January 15th, 2023 at 8:57 PM ^
I actually don’t see next year being that close all game. The overall gap between us and them at least for the 11 each will field on each side of the ball is not as large as 2021 or even 2022; especially up front on both sides. While the margin may be similar to 2022, I don’t think it will ever be in doubt.
January 16th, 2023 at 5:48 AM ^
Q - I’m guessing you are a young un!? Us veterans remember the 90s and GREAT OSU teams losing to UM. The rivalry is ON. Make no assumptions about the better or stronger team winning.
January 15th, 2023 at 3:05 PM ^
If a team wants to draft me, who am I to argue
January 15th, 2023 at 5:49 PM ^
Stroud would be an absolute idiot to return. So he's likely staying.
January 15th, 2023 at 6:51 PM ^
He would have some great weapons to work with most of OSU skill positions returning but losing the starting center and both OTs to the draft might be a concern if I were him. And OSU has not added any experienced OL via the portal to date.
January 15th, 2023 at 8:54 PM ^
I would be very worried about any slight injury to Harrison Jr. and seeing a repeat of JSN and N. Bosa. While JSN was an absolute monster as a sophomore he doesn’t have the measurables of Harrison Jr. JSN could have helped his stock a bit At this point there is not anything left for Harrison Jr. to prove, and he is only back because he is not eligible to go to the draft where he would most likely be either the 1st or 2nd WR drafted (him or Q. Johnston).
January 15th, 2023 at 8:07 PM ^
Has a great arm but is a terrible leader
January 15th, 2023 at 8:56 PM ^
Something I’m wondering with Stroud is if what we saw in the Georgia game might be the reason he comes back. In the first 12 games of the season, he ran the ball 35 times. He ran it 12 in the Georgia game alone. A lot of people questioned his toughness because he’s always throwing the ball and bails at the first sign of pressure. Could he be coming back to start being a little more mobile? He wouldn’t have to do it very often in most games because they have the talent to win without it but he could bring it out in games against Michigan and in the CFP if they made it. Just a thought on why he might come back, to diversify his game a little more?
January 16th, 2023 at 9:38 AM ^
Seems unlikely to me that he'd come back to work on a facet of his game that results in more hits, more injury risk. If he's coming back it's most likely because he thinks he can (somehow) raise his draft stock, he's getting enough NIL$ to make it worth the risk, and he wants a win against Michigan and a national championship.
Which is a long way of saying he'd be silly to come back, stacks of NFL$ await.
January 16th, 2023 at 9:41 AM ^
Stroud is getting like $2.5 mil in NIL
losing twice to Michigan and missing the NC game by .... "that much" might be sitting on him.. that said, the roster that we have coming back, I don't see how we aren't favored over ohio in Ann Arbor next Nov.
https://www.actionnetwork.com/ncaaf/highest-paid-college-athletes-in-the-nil-era
January 16th, 2023 at 11:17 AM ^
Stroud to the draft according to Twitter.
